What bothered me is it was the first doctor at the end of his life, where he had lightened up but was still a bit stubborn, this story he came off more like he was earlier on when he was a bit more irascible and iffy. How he should have been was more like what we saw in his final scenes. As you pointed out Moffat isn't the first to write him this way, likely won't be the last. I feel it was more an attempt to make light of sexism and it just didn't work out that way.

Polly making a lot of coffee in The Moonbase was a very important plot point and the Doctor was too busy trying to find a cure, Jamie was knocked on the head and unconscious, and Ben was running around and not staying with the Doctor. The sexism of Polly is greatly exaggerated. This story was a hit job on the 1st Doctor. It was bad enough to have Capaldi's Doctor take umpteen episodes to regenerate, just because he did not feel like it, without this tripe.

I liked a lot of the Christmas special, but yeeesh I hated it when the First Doc went all "sexist grandpa who's had a few drinks." Totally *not* Hartnell's thing. Was he occasionally patronizing? Sure. Is the "smacked bottom" line a bit uncomfortable? Yes. But you hit the nail on the head: it's one thing when it's your granddaughter, and another thing when it's someone you've literally just met. Polly and the coffee... weirdly enough, I'm sort of OK with it in The Moonbase, too. It's *really* sexist out of context, yeah. But *in* context... look, apart from Polly and the Doctor, literally every other character in that story is incredibly stupid, and the Doctor knows it. Polly is clearly the only person he has any faith in whatsoever, even though everyone else in that story treats her like she doesn't belong. She figures out a way to attack the Cybermen via a chemical spray, and Ben takes credit for it and tells her "this is no place for girls" or whatever; to me, a man being *that* dismissive of a woman's contributions *especially* when that same man has contributed literally nothing... that's waaay more sexist than the Doctor asking her to make coffee for everyone - especially when it seems more like his way of saying "Polly, you're the only other person here whose IQ is higher than a mollusk. Can I trust you to go distract those idiots so they don't accidentally blow themselves up?" (By the way - I loved this video, love this idea, hope you make more, etc. etc.)

it would be better if the captain guy said the sexist lines and the first doctor corrected him saying "you mustn't say things like that" or whatever

Hello old chap...WELL said. Really... so very well said and so eloquent with it. I was born in 1962 , grew up with the Doctor and loved the early days. (My Dr was Troughton) . It makes me very happy when someone of your tender years also loves the early days . Everything you said is spot on. Thank you so very much.

You’re absolutely right about the first Doctor, we should celebrate him. There are actually some great stories from his era that fans would enjoy

As usual Moffat goes way overboard and gets so much wrong. His time would have been better spent watching some old Hartnell episodes with the usual laughs and hmmm's that Bill was known for. Bradley did a great job but as usual Mofatt just couldn't resist sending the Hartnell era up which of course was seldom the case during Bill's actual run.

I've been going through the hartnell era, and He really is becoming my new favourite doctor.

4:01-4:05 I’m dead The PC joke was pretty clever too

I'm so pissed that Moffat goes out fucking up my favourite Doctor.

4:26 I got ya back man, I laughed

Like you, I did enjoy the episode at the time, but the reinvention of the First Doctor into a sexist prig left a bitter taste that seems to have grown rather than lessened. Not sure what was going through their minds

I'm just going to pretend the First Doctor is feeling tetchy and just wants to annoy 12.

Couldn't agree more! I thoroughly enjoyed "Twice Upon a Time" as Peter Capaldi's exit and was happy as hell to see David Bradley properly play the First Doctor. But yeah, after the first couple of jokes the whole sexism angle got old real quick. Heck, I admit I could have let it slide more had this been the pre-"An Unearthly Child" Doctor. But this is the First Doctor at the very end, after every single one of his adventures alongside 11+ companions, a majority of whom were women. Hopefully the new Big Finish audios David Bradley stars in are more faithful in that respect.

Moffat's treatment of the First Doctor's character was a despicable insult to Bill Hartnell, his performing skills and his professionalism, and all for the sake of a few pathetic jokes. If he has any integrity at all - extremely doubtful - he needs to issue a public apology.

I didn't realize the lack of respect for the First Doctor until I started watching the Classic Series this year. William Hartnell's Doctor is one of the kindest and most unprejudiced doctors. They made him a complete asshole in this episode. Many won't even want to watch the Classic Series because they'll think it's too old-fashioned for today. On the contrary, the only old-fashioned thing is the special effects.

This is Moffat's most unforgivable act as Doctor Who showrunner.

You just saved me a lot of work. Thank you.

Since you are known for your knowledge of Doctor Who I am so glad you decided to do this. The heavy-handed way they hung a virtual sign around the 1st Doctor reading "SEXIST" was the main thing (other than the meandering storyline and the CGI on Clara and...) that made this episode not terribly enjoyable for me. It really kind of bummed me out.

I think the real problem with The First Doctor in TUOT is not so much the sexist dialogue but the fact that that is all he is. We only focus on that because he's nothing else. He's not warm, humorous, tactile, gentle, sharp, cutting, compassionate etc - all the many varied things that Hartnell brought to the role - he's just one negative thing for a cheap joke. Hartnell had the richest characterisation of all the Doctor's in the classic series and his characterisation in this made him a one-note non-entity. I like Bradley but his performance lacks the colour and energy and .. well Life that Hartnell gave it - he's frequently too stilted.

I feel like Moffat wrote what he thought Hartnell was like, not the First Doctor

I remember seeing an article a while back with Steven Moffat talking about Doctor who before he was the show runner. He basically said that he hates every episode after An Unearthly Child to the War Games. He flat out attacked every episode from the 60’s. This episode shows proof that he hasn’t changed in terms of that. You can tell he’s not a fan of the William Hartnell era. One can only imagine what he would do to the second doctor if he was still show runner. A person is free to like or dislike a certain era of Doctor Who. It changes enough times for that to happen. But this is insulting to the first doctor and everything the first four seasons were about. David Bradly did a good job with what he was given. But it was Steven Moffat who screwed up. I did a marathon of every doctor who episode. Starting from an unearthly child and got as far as series 6 of new who. So I do know the first doctor. The first doctor was never sexist. Yeah early on he was grumpy but he mellowed out as time went on.

what was most shocking to me about Moffat's writing of the first doctor was the shocked reaction of Bill being a lesbian when in the Big Finish Audios the first doctor had a gay companion called Oliver Harper and was perfectly ok with his orientation and I'm really annoyed that when the first visited the Testimony's spaceship I thought Susan was emerge but it was Bill and the fact that the Captain was Lethbridge Stewart a double bluff when people first speculated it was him. I wanted it to be Viscount Byng the Commissioner of London Police who popularised police boxes or Gilbert Mackenzie the man who invented the police box design. Or as a really cool twist I would have had the Captain be a pre-Delgado incarnation of the Master whom is working as a CIA agent attacking the Gelth whom I would have made the glass people be their physical form before loosing it in the Time War. As well as the story not resolving the 50th annivesary special.

If I had a nickel for every time Polly was relegated to the role of making coffee instead of doing anything else in the story I'd have two nickels which isn't a lot, but its weird it happened twice

That's awesome that they brought the First Doctor back! But awful that they got him so wrong! I'm wondering if they got anything right about him (besides the appearance, anyway)? I guess I'm the one person who was laughing at your PC Peter Capaldi joke. :)

I was the one person who laughed at that joke I literally had to pause the video, I lost it

Excellent video, Josh. Thanks for making it, and helping to put the record straight.

Except for the polly cleaning, all woman being glass and the nurse I loved it

Well put and brilliantly done 👍🏻

Well said. Honestly, I don’t think it would have been okay even if it were just one or two remarks... having to deliberately overlook a few little things per episode just to make ourselves be comfortable with what we’re seeing is what led to Moffat feeling bold enough to let his tendencies off their leash.

He did drink in episode 7 of Daleks masterplan, also the first Doctor does go about with a duster and clean himself oddly

awesome video... and I did laugh at your PC = Peter Capaldi joke. Caught me off guard. lol

Concept: Hartnell’s era but he has your hair

Well Josh you are not alone! William Hartnell is now my favorite doctor! So am on your side.

This is an excellent evaluation of Twice Upon a Time - clear, concise, informative and passionate; thank you so much for taking the trouble to articulate what I suspect many of us have been thinking. If I may, I'd like to pick up on a particular point: The line to Susan in Dalek Invasion of Earth always bothered me, as I thought "is that really how an older person from such an advanced civilization would speak to one of it's young people?" In fairness, we aren't given enough information during the First Doctor's era to determine the truth of the matter but for me it didn't seem to 'ring true'. I suppose this points to that thorny question as to what degree the show should be a tool to critique society, politics, ethics, cultural norms etc. Admittedly, from Aristotle onward storytelling has been the mirror we hold up to evaluate ourselves. However, entertainment shouldn't be lost in the process and consistency of characterization has, arguably, a higher narrative value than any particular writer's own interests or agenda.

I really just want an edited version that takes the unnecessary sexism out. especially the 'women are glass' section. If it weren't for them exaggerating the sexism so much I would love this episode so much.

Very well produced and presented! If you can get a new microphone you'll have a 10/10 show :D

I thought it odd that when the Doctor finally regenerates, you see a reprise of the original regeneration, but where are Polly and Ben? In The Tenth Planet, they were with him. In this version of the story, though they were seen briefly at the beginning, by the time of the Doctor's regeneration they've been forgotten and they're absent.

While most of the attention is givenby the media to female nurses in the world wars The Navy and Army Male Nursing Co-operation was founded in Britain in 1907. Male nurses existed in World War 1 to treat men uncomfortable with women (who were often ignorant of the male body) treating them or who were in forwards positions considered too dangerous for women to serve. See Jessica Myers ‘Masculinity and Medical Care in Britain during the First World War" for more information.

I was watching season 2 when series 10 broadcast, and my parents kept arguing with me about the first doctor, even though they had never seen him be not a garbage person

Thank you for doing this video!

If Time Lords can easily change from male to female, why would any of them be sexist?

In hindsite its also a bit mad considering that time lords can change sex, which is acknowledged in the Moffat era. Just doesnt work.

I totally agree. While David Bradley was good as the First Doctor, the First Doctor himself was written poorly. Granted, he was written for on the fly and last minute, but that isn't much of an excuse, especially for a student of Classic Who like Steven Moffat. Plus I really didn't see much of the First Doctor at all. Where's all the "hmm" and his mannerisms? If you want to see David Bradley's portrayal of the First Doctor done justice, look no further than Big Finish's First Doctor Adventures. He's fantastic in that! As for this episode, other than the writing for the First Doctor, I thought it was alright. I'm glad they didn't go back and recreate any other scenes from The Tenth Planet (at least, none that made it in to the episode itself). Capaldi is great as always. I think Bill didn't need to be here. Honestly would've preferred Susan in Bill's role. Might've been way better.

Ah! I always wanted to know what you looked like! Looking Good, Mate! :) it's incredible, that you put all this together, in a day!

Hey Josh I actually hope you see this. I 100% agree. But there is some good news where the show got it wrong. Big finish got it right! David Bradley and the cast of special documentary returned in so far 6 adventures as barbera, Ian, and Susan with the fist doctor. It takes a while to get used to these actors in these roles but once you settle in it’s amazing!!! If you are looking for new authentic feeling adventures with the original Tardis crew I highly recommend a listen

Liked your video! I know the writing could of been better, but Capaldi and Bradley did great with what they had to work with. Capaldi had been doing this through his entire tenure as the Doctor, acting fantastic with some badly written material. After an Adventure In Time And Space, it was great to see Bradley as the First Doctor in a canon episode. Hopefully he can be used again in another special, wishful thinking!

Okay. So im back 2 years later after listening to the First doctor big finish stories with him, Steven and Oliver Harper. Oliver is gay and hides his sexuality from the crew. When he confesses, The Doctor simply says: "It's Society's Crime, not yours", this is a much better portrayal of The Doctor. Compare that with the shock of learning that bill is gay. I swear if this wasnt a regen story I'd dismiss it as non canon.

Thank you! Bloody spot on! I want more of the first Doctor. Not some caricature! Bring him back and do it properly this time.

Good old Steve looks like Sydney Newman now compared to the current showrunner.

Well the hell does "All ladies are made of glass." Mean?

Make it two people who laughed at that joke!

👏 Bravo, very good analysis! After watching that episode I came away with the same feelings. Outside of the first doctor’s character being completely rewritten I too enjoyed this episode.

Totally agree, I hated how they portrayed Hartnell's doctor, it really feels like it was done with such contempt for him which is so upsetting after we got such a love letter to him in "An Adventure in Time and Space" just 4 years earlier. The 1st Doctor could be grumpy and patronizing, but never a sexist bogited grandpa on the drink. The only time I can ever remember the 1st Doctor doing anything unsavoury was saying "we must leave this place is full of Arabs" in the Feast of Steven, and yeah , granted, you got me there, I can't really find an excuse for that, other than the whole episode possibly being an acid trip, but otherwise the 1st doctor was always very charming, playful and compassionate, and he only ever said the 'smacked bottom' line to his grandaughter, very different context to saying it to someone you've only just met, as the 1st Doc never said that to any of his other companions.

Acutally brandy can be used for medicinal purposes so, it would make sense why the 1st doctor would have it in the tardis.

Its a shame David Bradley was not in his own episode, or somehow took Capaldi out maybe in another episode before the Regeneration/ Christmas Special.

i love your passion for Hartnell, well done young sir...mhhhm yess indeed.

"Thank you to the one person that laughed at that joke" that was me! I was so freaked when you said that.

The first doctor is a legend, without him doctor who probably wouldn’t be here today.

You know what’s funny there both technically the first doctor of a regeneration cycle

I saw this episode again recently, and its a shame many who have only seen this story might not go back and watch Hartnell because of it.

Timeless Children did far more damage. The 1st Doctor isn't even the 1st Doctor anymore 🤬🤬🤬

Even before I started delving into William Hartnell's era, I felt the stereotyping of the 1st Doctor in Twice Upon a Time was wrong. And from what I have seen so far in my watch-thrus, I don't see anything to suggest that the 1st Doctor was demeaning to his female companions. And the whole Barbara wanting to clean in The Web Planet was her idea and choice, the Doctor didn't ask or demand she do it. At worst you can blame stereotypes of women from the 1950-60s, but you can not put it on the character of the 1st Doctor.

I don't remember filming this. 🤔

Apart from the sexist comments, the rest of Bradley's preformance was fine and I hope he returns in the future, but with a better script, allowing him to play a more accurate version of the character. Also, I love the idea that the First Doctor is acting like that purely because the captain is from that time era. That would make sense. Come to think of it, do we see him act like that in scenes where the captain is NOT around?

he wrote it because fans previously called him out on sexism with Clara. “a mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into a skirt just a little bit too... tight.” www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/aug/23/doctor-who-steven-moffat-sexism it was just a way to try to prove he wasn't sexist by writing the usual sexist lines and having another character input on the sexist lines he wrote (capaldi's doctor notably embarrassed towards the sexism from the first doctor and brig and bill potts 'triggered' defense towards it) Who better to be accused of sexism than two people plucked right from 1966. Moffat never had lines that challenged the sexist references in his script until late. it was nothing to do with how he thought the first doctor was, personality wise. you have to remember he is a comedy writer... not a good one. hence why every scene meant to have terror and suspense ends up being ruined with 'humorous' lines being put in, ones that are really not funny at all. the first doctors lines in this story being an example of his comedy 'genius'. this is the same man that wrote ''you need a good death, without death they would only be comedies'' (silence in the library) and then had like every companion die only to come back to life again.

This was very well done. His portrayal reminded me so much of when jnt would go out of character he would say it was the memory cheats and not wrong writing!The problem, is now we can watch the eps, which you couldn't do back then, we can see the had script. I like Bradley as the doctor. I hope his next script on screen is better! Not big finish, the actual show!

Thank you for this! Moffat HAD to screw up something before leaving >.

Totally agree!

If people find Matt Smith's Doctor problematic there really is no hope..

Great video! I totally share your opinion and sentiments. Thank you for sharing. Be safe. :)

Never really liked Bradley as the first doctor? As hartnell? Yeah. As Doctor One? Nope. Sounded a Mondasian Cybermen half the time

A fun fact is thar according to rhe novelization that the 1st Doctor was acting the way he did to the female companion just to make the 12th Doctor a bit mad and wasn't actually seriously on what he said.

I choose to believe that the first doctor likes messing with his future selfs

Couldn't agree more. Watching those sexist moments made me really uncomfortable and it's a shame that new fans won't be as enticed to watch 60s Who...

I watch this video... so often The episode had a great ending and that's the only reason people praise it so much but as a huge First Doctor fan, I can't stand to see what Moffat did to his character. A waste of David Bradley's casting.

Some fair comments there Josh. Agreed some sloppy writing for the sake of a cheap laugh. However, anyone who won't now watch the Hartnell episodes because they have judged the First Doctor's character from just this is probably the sort of person who won't watch them because they are in black and white. All the episodes were written in a context of attitudes and society the way it was at the time and it simply won't do to criticise them for being non PC by today's standards. Well done for speaking out against any deformation of the the First Doctor's character though. perceived or otherwise.

SUBSCRIBED!!!

I'd perhaps understand if this was Unearthly Child First Doctor, but this is Tenth Planet First Doctor, who's gone through this whole character arc. Also no comments on how both just fought the Cybermen leading their regeneration?

I’m so glad I watched this before watching Twice Upon A Time (yes, I know, I’m waaay behind!) - Thankyou :)

Well said!

It was obviously the robot duplicate doctor from Robert Holmes’ The Six Doctors

Yes! During the whole brandy exchange, that line from The Gunfighters (A guilty pleasure of mine, if only for Steven signing) was blaring on full blast in my head. Halfway through I paused the episode just to tell my dad how wrong this all was (Bless him, he grew up with Pertwee so he hadn't a sweet clue what I was on about) Two of my favourite Doctors together and THIS is what we get? Disappointed, to say the least. Really glad you made this video as I'm scared this episode might turn people away from the First Doctor, a prospect I find completely unacceptable. Also, the comment about Polly cleaning the TARDIS made me want to switch the TV, she was SO much more than that.

Thank you for this.

Mark Gaitiss DEF should’ve written this story. He clearly loves the 1st Doctor, and Moffat clearly doesn't (and if you’re familiar with Moffat’s other works, he loves to write random and heavy-handed sexism into his stories whenever they’re about the past). Perhaps with this story being created in a rush, he just wasn't available during the timeframe it needed written. Steven Moffat wanted to leave on "The Doctor Falls." However, when Chris Chibnall stated he didn't have any ideas for a Christmas special, Moffat wrote this one so Doctor Who wouldn't lose its Christmas slot... Chibnall threw that in the bin immediately, so that was a waste.

Anneke had her own explanation about the "put the kettle on line," but it never made sense to me.

About the French restaurant comment... The Doctor does say in The Feast of Steven: "This is a madhouse, it's full of Arabs." I'm really not sure what to make of that line... But yes, on the whole, they overdid the "joke" about the 1st Doctor being from the '60s.

I couldn’t agree more. David Bradley saves this one for me, because of the moments he has that are pure Hartnell. And the depth they manage to add to his regeneration (mind you I’m not sure I like the idea of him not wanting to regenerate) by showing the doctor who grew to save and help people realize he actually does make a meaningful a difference. Something Hartnell never seemed set on. He was very much a doctor who just helped where he saw those in need. I love that element. But these sexist bits enrage me. Especially when you look at his female companions. Ok so Susan could be hysterical and there’s the coffee thing with Polly I guess? But Barbara was brave and heroic and Vicki was absolutely unstoppable. Yes the doctor treated them as children in a way. Calling them dear and what not. But he did the SAME thing to Steven and Ian and Ben. He was a grumpy old fusspot. And he was a bleeding heart softie.

Never forget. In every story which involves the first Doctor returning in order to help the current Doctor solve a problem, the first Doctor is treated with great dignity and respect. The younger Doctor's defer to his judgement above their own, and he in turn whips them into shape when they cannot work together. All of them.... except for Twice Upon a Time. Make of that what you will.

In fairness the moonbase point was because the second doctor was out of ideas because the main controller was close to throwing the doctor Polly Ben and jamie who is sick at the time out the base so he asks Polly to keep them happy because at the time he couldn't he had to find a way to find away to stop the virus then the coffee helps to find that the sugar is contaminated so it moves the plot compared to twice upon a time

Even when the First Doctor did make odd comments, that was the early stories, this is a Hartnell whose been through the Tenth Planet.

Please turn that Tardis ambient sound down, its very droning on the ears

I loved it. It was funny. But yes I agree. It wasn't the 1st Doctor. But with Peter Capaldi it was fun.

I think the 1st Doctor was more like William Hartnell in the biopic. I don't remember The Doctor ever being racist or sexist. He did talk down to several female characters, but he talked down to everyone. He was arguably harshest with Ian (or Chesterfield as he'd occasionally call him). It's an episode that could have been amazing, and it was still pretty great, but I think Moffat and Gatiss were more interested in saying "look how much better our version of the show is". I first picked up on this kind of attitude when Gatiss was interviewed on one of the Tom Baker DVDs about Douglas Adams, where he really talked down the era of the show where Adams had been script editor. There seems to be a few writers within the nuWho camp who, while fans of the classic series, also like to view their vision as superior. I think that's at least partially what was at play here.

I'm just gonna pretend that Twice Upon a Time didn't happen, and just watch the regeneration scene.

Finally someone who saw the flaws with the representation of the First Doctor, David Bradley is amazing at portraying Hartnell but the writing is all wrong

I mean at least if this was An Unearthly Child Hartnell they could get away with it, but this is Tenth Planet Hartnell. After his arc.

Peter... Capaldi... oh I get it!

I agree for the most part.... but I still loved the episode.... I actually didn’t mind him threatening to spank bill.... I understand why it could bother people, but sometimes the doctor did seem a little bit sexist back then.... just nowhere near to the extent as he was in this episode... I also didn’t mind the brandy part, considering the first doctor judged capaldis doctor pretty hard for potentially drinking some of it.... my grandparents never drank but still had a bottle of aged brandy in their house... they never drank it..... just saved it...... so I find it plausible that the first doctor may have came to posses a bottle at some point in time and put it away in case of an emergency in which it would be useful...

I think first doctor in twice upon a time is not like before because he is dying so he says nonsense🤣